I didn’t start meditating to be cool – I started meditating to save my life. By 26 years old I loathed my very existence, and was trapped in a downward spiral of self-destruction. I’ve tried numerous methods of finding peace of mind using various practices of meditation, but Vedic meditation has been my Holy Grail. I also know that meditation is one of the things you all are hungry to learn more about, so I sat down with Light Watkins, an author and Vedic teacher who wants to empower the everyman to meditate. To help, Light wrote one of the best books I’ve ever read on the topic: Bliss More: How to Succeed in Meditation Without Really Trying. You can think of Bliss More as the meditation version of the The 4-Hour Workweek: lean, effective, and at home on a bio hacker’s bookshelf near you. Some meditation practices and techniques are very specific and rigid, both physically and mentally. This is what a lot of people think of when they hear the word “meditation,” and in all honesty, those practices can be a struggle for the amateur who sincerely wants to make a daily practice out of meditation. If you want to sit with your legs crossed on the floor for an hour, that’s fine! But that’s NOT necessary to achieve the best or most efficient results from meditation – you can’t focus your way to bliss. Vedic meditation, on the other hand, is about reshaping the relationship with the mind to effortlessly experience fully-awake restful consciousness and its many physiological benefits. “The mind is not the enemy. The mind is not the obstacle. The mind is actually your ally. The mind is noble.” –Luke   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Urban escape room & evasion course How to succeed in meditation (without really trying) Changing the conversation around meditation Why Light’s book is accessible for the everyman & experienced practitioners Reframing writing as a practice Dealing with criticism (& laughing at negative reviews on Yelp) How Light (a young man from Alabama) first got into meditation in the 90s Experiencing Light’s first “meditation orgasm” Thom Knoles, a maharishi (or pre-eminent master-teacher) of Vedic Meditation Why meditation is only effective when it’s a daily practice Becoming a good teacher (“You don’t have to beat Michael Jordan to coach him to a championship.”) Training in India Listening to our intuitive voice Your energetic economy Having many choices VS knowing the right choice (for you) The early, rocky stages of a meditation practice Stress relief & meditation Fun fact: we all have the same number of thoughts Appreciating beauty Calming the fight or flight reaction Why Light keeps his services accessible and affordable How Light prays   More about this episode. Watch it on YouTube   THIS SHOW IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: FOUR SIGMATIC. Melt away stress, boost immunity, relax & sleep deeper, improve productivity, increase brain power, get stimulation without jitters. Sound like all the good stuff you want? Welcome to the medicinal fungi kingdom with Four Sigmatic's highest quality mushroom & herbs in little packets of magical power that you can add to your coffee or warm drink. Now featuring a slew of brand new super chronic, super food & herbal blends! Check out the the green coffee bean extract, the brain stack, the sleep stack, the matcha tea with Lion’s Mane, and the new coffee + mushroom infused mixes! Use coupon "thelifestylist" for 15% off. AND...   ORGANIFI. This product has changed the green juice game for me. A green powdered superfood that comes in portable packets perfect for travel, keeping in your car or bag. On-demand instant green juice that is alkalizing, energizing and gives you mental clarity. What else is so special about it? Zero glycemic index & comes with all 11 most important superfoods: turmeric, chlorella, wheatgrass, spirulina, mint, moringa, ashwagandha, lemon, beets, coconut, matcha green tea. Awesome stuff! Save 20%, use discount code "LIFESTYLIST". AND... Health IQ. All your hard work